Hay-distributing apparatus.



P. L. FORBES.

HAY DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25. 1916.

I m 6,55%. Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES. INVENTOR P. L. FORBES.

HAY DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25, me.

Patented Feb. 26, 1917 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TIQ. 3.

TIqS.

WITNE65E6.

PERCY LLOYD FORBES, OF WEST MIDDLESEX, PENNSYLVANIA.

HAY-DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 7%, 191W.

Application filed October 25, 1916. Serial No. 127,598.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERCY LLOYD Forums, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vest Middlesex, in the county of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in llay-l.)istributing Apparatus; and I do hereby testify that the following is a complete and concise description of the aforesaid hay-distributing apparatus attested by the annexed figures and drawings, which are a part of these specifications.

My invention pertains to an improvement in hay-distributing apparatus, and is directed to the distribution of hay, straw or grain to any part of a mow by means of a switch, inclined tracks and friction rail attached theret0,,in combination with any standard design of. hay-carriers with forks or slings.

One'of the objects of my invention is the provision of a. simple, but efiicient switch whereby the car may be directed from themain horizontal track to side tracks located at suitable points along the roof of the building in which it is installed. A further object of my improvement resides in the ar rangement on the side track of means for returning the car to the main or horizontal track after the load has been released. A third object of my improvements is located in a friction rail to prevent the too rapid descent of the car, and operating in conjunction with the descent of the car, the friction produced being in proportion to the weight of the burden attached thereto.

Further objects and purposes of my invention will appear from an inspection. of the drawings, the specifications describing the same, and the claims appended thereto in which are set forth the arrangement of parts, combinations of elements, and novel structural details properly comprised within the scope of the same. I

These objects I attain by means of the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the apparatus in operation. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of switch and longitudinal view of the inclined tracks. In Fig. 3, the inclined friction rail is shown in a horizontal position. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view showing carriage in operation upon friction rail. Fig. 5 is a top view of switch. Fig. 6 represents a longitudinal my invention in which like reference characters designate like parts, 1 is a view of the main track which can be constructed of angle or T iron conforming in size to the requirements of any standard design of car adapted to be conveyed thereover, is su ported by hangers suspended from the ratters of the barn in which it may be installed, and is joined to the switch 2% at the switch hinge 2. 3 is the switch bolt acting in the double capacity of track hanger and switch support. By means of the reinforcing bar 4, I have secured the stability of the switch and, furthermore, have made possible the construction of the same within a space hitherto insuflicient.

The locking head 6 isslidably mounted upon the switch support 9 constructed with a slot which locking head slides horizontally along the said switch support, thus joining the switch to any track desired. 7 is the locking pin which moves vertically through the locking head and switch support 9 at any one of the three apertures in the support 9, and, when. the said locking head and switch support aline, joins the switch to any of the tracks desired by the operator. By applying a downward pressure upon either of the switch-shifting ropes 30, the operator of my invention can, with little effort, neutralize the force of the spring 8 and, by means of the locking pin control arm 11, raise the locking pin 7 from its position in any of the apertures in the switch support 9, thus rendering the said locking head 6 slidably adjustable to another track. After the locking pin 7 has reached the highest point in its vertical movement, by continued pressure on either of the switch-shifting ropes 30, the locking head 6 is moved either to the right or left until the apertures are in alinement, when the spring 8 forces the looking pin 7 into the aperture in the switch support 9, the conjunction of the said locking head with the switch support 9 is accomplished, and the apparatus is now in proper adjustment for the operation of the car thereover. In case the pressure on rope 30 should prove insufficient to move the lockto track adjusting bolt 29 by ing head from its position, then,

the combination of effort brings the locking head easily into alinement with the track desired.

When the loaded car 18 has traversed the inclined track 26, and when the bufl'er 28 has coine'to rest against the buffer spring 14, the empty car and fork 18, suddenly re leased from their burden, are drawn upward along the inclined track 26 by the effect of the counterweight 27 operating by a rope attached to the car 18. The counterweight pulleys 10 serve to guide the car 18 around the curve in the inclined track 26 by insuring a pull nearly parallel with the track 26, instead of a sidewise pull on the car 18 as would occur without the aid of the )ulleys. My object in having a friction rail 21, as hereinbefore stated is to prevent a too rapid descent of the loaded car 18 along the inclined track 26, which is bolted to the rafters. The operation of the friction rail 21 is embodied in the following description:

The loaded car 18 travels downward along the inclined track 26, steadily gaining momentum; the weight of the car 18 with its burden causes the inclined track to drop slightly on the spring 16, which is secured a nut 17 the sag of the track causes the projection 22,

. which is bolted on the car-frame 18 by bolt 20, to contact with the thrust on the friction rail 21, riveted to friction rail supporting bracket 15, thus checking the momentum of the car and preventing its too rapid descent. Atthe release of the burden from the car, the spring 16 restores the track 26 to its normal position, all friction is obviated between the projection 22 and the friction rail 21, and the car is free to be drawn up the inclined track 26 by the counterweight 27 operating around the counterweight pulleys 10, as hereinbefore described.

I am aware that prior to my invention hay-distributing apparatus has been made for operation of a car over a single straight horizontal track, distributing its burden only in that part of the mow directly underneath the said straight track; but I claim that my invention is novel in utilizing a switchin combination with curved inclined side tracks, with a friction rail attached thereto, which enables the burden to be distributed at points underneath either the incl med side tracks or the straight horizontal trac Having now described my invention in detail, what I. claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: a

1. An improvement in apparatus, having the combination of curved inclined tracks at either side of straight horizontal track, and a friction rail attached thereto, which insures uniformity in rate of descent of a loaded car.

2. An improvement in hay-distributing apparatus, having the combination of curved inclined tracks, a friction rail attached thereto, and means for returning unburdened car along the curved inclined tracks to the main horizontal track, accomplished by a counterweight cooperating with counterweight pulleys, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in an improvement in hay-distributing apparatus, of curved inclined side tracks, a friction rail attached thereto, and a switch for directing a car from the horizontal track to the side tracks, the switch being provided with a locking device which firmly joins said switch to any selected track, and operated by means of ropes which render the switch slidably adjustable to any track desired.

In testimony that the above specifications are correct, I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PLRCY LLOYD FORBES. Witnesses W. W JOHNSON, J. J. KULP.

hay-distributing 

